y

ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN
CURVES FOR 2 1/4 C r - 1 Mo,
TYPE 304-304H, AND
TYPE 316-316H STEELS

TECHNICAL REPORT 2012 - PART I

PREPARED FOR

US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

CONTRACT NO AT(04-3)-781

BRAUN PROJECT 4122-W

UNITED NUCLEAR PROJECT 2351

C F B R A U N & CO
—~^—7/ ;f" ' -•••v
 DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an

agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States
Government nor any agency Thereof, nor any of their employees,
makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal
liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or
usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process
disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately
owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product,
process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or
otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,
recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any
agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein
do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States
Government or any agency thereof.
 DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible in

electronic image products. Images are produced
from the best available original document.
 C F BRAUN & CO
Engineers
ALHAMBRA CALIFORNIA 9 1 8 0 2

October 16, 1970

H B Fry, Contracting Officer

Contract AT(04-3)-781
AEC San Francisco
2111 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, California 94704 BAL-153

Dear Mr Fry
ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN CURVES
TECHNICAL REPORT 2012 PART I
LMFBR PIPING DESIGN GUIDE
AEC SAN FRANCISCO
PROJECT 4122-PW

Transmitted herewith are two copies of Part I, Technical

Report 2012 covering the preparation of Isochronous Stress-Strain
Curves for 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo, Type 304-304H and Type 316-316H steels
based on data currently available.

This is an interim report covering a portion of the work

on Task 2012 for determining the time dependent behavior of
materials. Work on this task will be continued to develop plans
for experimental programs to obtain additional data. Evaluation of
data, up-dating of the present curves, and preparation of relaxation
strength versus time correlations will be developed when schedule
and budget considerations have been settled.

Comments on this report are requested, and should be

forwarded to C F Braun & Co prior to November 29, 1970.

Sincerely yours

RFD IV Ro^er Detman

Project Manager
 C F B R A U N & C 0

Project 4122-PW
AEC Contract AT(04-3)-781
H B Fry, Contracting Officer Page 2 October 16, 1970

CC H B Fry, Contracting Officer -2

Director, RDT, HQ
Asst Director, Plant Engineering, RDT, HQ
Asst Director, Project Management, RDT, HQ
J J Schreiber, Components Br -6
RDT Senior Site Representative (AI) -2
Division Director, LMEC -8

United Nuclear Corporation

Dr R J Slember, Project Manager -10

J W Gascoyne -2
R B Hill/Project Engineering File
S F Khalaf
J L Lakner
M S Nehls
J E Soehrens
L E Wright
Braun Reference Library

File R F DETMAN
I
-LEGAL NOTICE
This report was prepared as an account of work
sponsored by the United States Government. Neither
the United States nor the United States Atomic Energy
Commission, nor any of their employees, nor any of
their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees,
makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any
legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, com-
pleteness or usefulness of any information, apparatus,
product or process disclosed, or represents that its use
would not infringe privately owned rights.

ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN CURVES

FOR 2 1/4 C r - 1 Mo, TYPE 304-304H, AND
TYPE 316-316H STEELS

TECHNICAL REPORT 2012 - PART I

P r e p a r e d for US Atomic Energy C o m m i s s i o n

Contract No AT (04-3)-781
Braun P r o j e c t 4122-W
United Nuclear P r o j e c t 2351
UNC Consultant Contract No 527 with G V Smith

UNITED NUCLEAR CORPORATION

R e s e a r c h and Engineering C e n t e r
G r a s s l a n d s Road, Elmsford, New York

C F BRAUN & CO

Alhambra California

October 16, 1970

L>r;rRib<.7v;'?r<: :"\^ *;,. cr-v^--^ »s \r~- "

I

PRELIMINARY
FOR REVIEW ONLY

C F BRAUN & CO
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1
METHODS OF GENERATING ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-
STRAIN CURVES 3
DEPENDENCE OF SECONDARY CREEP RATE
UPON STRESS 6
DEPENDENCE OF CREEP INTERCEPT UPON STRESS . 9
BEGINNING OF TERTIARY CREEP 20
THE ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN CURVES 21
ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN SIMILARITY 33
REFERENCES 36

TABLES

Time for Tertiary Creep/Time to Rupture vs

Temperature 20
Computed Constants for Eq. 4 34

FIGURES

Variation of Secondary Creep Rate of 2V4 C r - 1 Mo

with Stress 7
Variation of Secondary Creep Rate of Types 304-304H
and 316-316H with Stress 8
I
^ ^ 3(a) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
_ 2V4 C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1000°F 11
I 3(b) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
2V4 C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1050°F 12
• 3(c) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
I 2V4 C r - 1 Mo Steel-1100°F 13
4(a) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
I Type 304-304H Steel - 1000°F 14
4(b) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
_ Type 304-304H Steel - 1100°F 15
I 4(c) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
Type 304-304H Steel - 1200°F 16
• 5(a) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
• Type 316-316H S t e e l - 1 0 0 0 °F 17
5(b) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
I Type 316-316H S t e e l - 1 1 0 0 °F 18
5(c) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for
• Type 316-316H Steel - 1200°F 19
8 6(a) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2V4 C r - 1 Mo
Steel-1000°F 24
• 6(b) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2% C r - 1 Mo
• Steel-1050°F 25
6(c) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2V4 C r - 1 Mo
I Steel-1100°F 26
7(a) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 304-304H
m Steel - 1000°F 27
I 7(b) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 304-304H
Steel-1100°F 28
I 7(c) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 304-304H
• Steel-1200°F 29
_ 8(a) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H
I Steel-1000°F 30
8(b) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H
• Steel-1100°F 31
1 8(c) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H
Steel-1200°F 32
I 9 Comparison of Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves of
Fig. 7(c) and Values Computed from Eq. 4 35

• 111
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Previously unpublished data were made available by WADCO

(formerly Battelle Northwest). Other data were derived from an MPC-
sponsored research program on low cycle fatigue at Battelle Columbus.

iv
 1. INTRODUCTION

Strain is not independent of time in the creep range of temperature,

as it is at lower temperature, but rather continues to occur with time.
In principle, the continuing, time-dependent creep may be expected to
lead to failure owing to excessive distortion, or alternatively, failure
may result from the intervention of fracture (rupture). To preclude
failure by excessive distortion or by rupture, the permissible working
stress must be limited such that neither of these events will occur with-
in the intended service life. Information concerning time-dependent
strain also is required by the designer in connection with calculations
relating to plastic instability and ratcheting.
A method of depicting the time-dependent strain behavior of m a -
terials that is convenient for the design engineer is in the form of plots
showing the variation of s t r e s s with strain for fixed time; the resulting
curves have come to be called isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves. This
method of presentation was probably first used by McVetty in 1934,1
and has since come to be widely used in the aerospace industries.
In the present report, consideration is given to possible methods
of developing isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves appropriate for r e l a -
tively long service life in pressure vessel and similar applications, and
the conclusion is drawn that at the present time the only practicable ap-
proach is to compute them from creep intercept and creep rate data.
Available data have been evaluated and isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves
have been generated for times ranging between 103 and 5 x 105 hr for:
• 2% C r - 1 Mo steel at 1000, 1050, and 1100°F
• Type 304-304H stainless steel at 1000, 1100, and 1200°F
• Type 316-316H stainless steel at 1000, 1100, and 1200°F.
1
For reasons to be described, no distinction is drawn between the "regular'
and " H " grades of 304 and 316. The data available for types 304L and
316L proved to be inadequate to permit generating isochronous curves for
these grades.

2
 2. METHODS OF GENERATING ISOCHRONOUS
STRESS-STRAIN CURVES

Probably the most obvious and direct method of generating i s o -

chronous stress-strain curves is to take constant time sections through
a family of creep curves (strain vs time), developed at different con-
stant applied s t r e s s e s at constant temperature. For several reasons,
this procedure, unfortunately, proves not to be practicable for the p r e s -
sent purposes. First, creep-time curves are not generally available
in published literature, reflecting the fact that the ASME Code allowable
s t r e s s criterion relating to creep is expressed in t e r m s of the s t r e s s
causing a secondary creep rate of 0.01% per 1000 hr, which, in turn,
has meant that published creep data pertain largely to secondary creep
rate. Second, the number of creep tests that have been made on any
individual lot of material has commonly involved far too few different
s t r e s s levels to provide an adequate family for taking constant time
sections, even were the creep curves somehow to be made available.
Finally, few creep tests have been continued beyond a few thousand hours,
whereas the times that are of interest extend to beyond 100,000 hr.
A second possible approach to generating isochronous s t r e s s -
strain curves, which does prove to be practicable, is to compute them
from secondary creep rate and creep intercept data, within the limita-
tion that creep shall not have entered the tertiary or accelerating period.
This procedure may be expressed analytically in the following form:

C t = C0 + C s t (1)

in which Ct is the total strain at time t, C 0 is the intersection on the

total strain axis of the secondary creep rate tangent, C s is the secondary

3
creep rate, and where the time must not exceed that corresponding to
the beginning of tertiary creep. What are required, then, are the d e -
pendences of C s and C 0 upon s t r e s s , and a means for insuring that the
computation is not carried into the tertiary stage of creep. Since it i s
not practicable to establish allowable s t r e s s e s for individual lots of
materials, but only for a class or grade of material as a whole, it would
seem desirable to seek to develop an average isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n
curve, based upon the average dependence of C s upon s t r e s s , etc.,
rather than to attempt first to develop individual curves for individual
lots of a particular grade and then average these. In fact, the latter
approach is not feasible, because the amount of data available for an
individual lot of a given class of material is seldom, if ever, adequate
to the needs. Moreover, by this approach, advantage may be taken of
the evaluations of secondary creep rate data that have been developed
by the Metal Properties Council (MPC). 2 ' 3 Unfortunately, no similar
assessment of the dependence of intercept upon s t r e s s is available, and
would have to be developed.
A means for insuring that the computation is limited to times less
than those corresponding to entry into tertiary creep is available. Leyda
and Rowe4 studied in detail the relation between the beginning of tertiary
creep and rupture for many materials of commercial interest, and ob-
served that at a given temperature tertiary creep for a particular m a -
terial sets in at a constant fraction F s of the time for rupture. This
fraction decreased with increasing temperature. Multiple lots were
studied for a number of grades, including those of particular interest
for nuclear applications; the results showed that it is possible to define
an average value of F s , exhibiting relatively modest scatter, defining
the dependence of time-for-tertiary creep upon time-for-rupture for a
class of material.
In the interval of primary creep, before secondary creep com-
mences, the secondary creep rate-intercept procedure for computing
isochronous stress-strain curves results in greater strains that would
be actually experienced. At the present time, no method is known by
which primary creep can be taken into account in developing isochronous
curves by the creep rate-creep intercept approach, or even of assessing
the extent of the e r r o r that may be introduced. In a very general way,
it seems clear that the possible e r r o r increases with decreasing time,
and decreasing strain. Some small comfort may be gained from the

4
fact that the error is always such as to result in more conservative d e -
sign. Moreover, it seems unlikely that for strains on the order of 1%
the error is significant at 100,000 hr and longer, which for long service
applications would be of greatest interest, and probably is small for
10,000 hr.
In addition to the two methods for generating isochronous s t r e s s -
strain curves already cited, some attention was given (initially) to the
possibility that a generalized interrelation between rupture strength and
creep strength, the latter defined in terms of the s t r e s s for a specific
amount of strain, reported by Gill and Goldhoff,5 could be useful in d e -
veloping isochronous curves. However, this approach was judged to be
of limited value, owing (1) to the width of the scatter band, and (2) to the
fact that the inter -dependence was reported only for a strain of 1%, and
data were not available that would permit generating the rupture strength-
creep strength dependence for other amounts of strain.
Brief consideration also was given to the possibility of employing
multiterm analytical expressions relating strain to time, but the prob-
lem of assessing the several material constants of such expressions
(necessitating extensive experimental study), even for an individual lot
of material, let alone a grade, appears much too formidable to undertake
within the schedule established for this effort.
Finally, a few data relating to time-dependent strain are available
principally from European sources, but these are so limited that they
are of possible correlative interest only. Furthermore, there is some
evidence that the strengths of some materials, e.g., type 304 stainless
steel and 2% C r - 1 Mo steel, produced outside the USA, may differ s o m e -
what from the strengths of domestically produced material.
In summary, it appears that the only practicable approach to gen-
erating isochronous stress-strain curves at the present time is to com-
pute them from secondary creep rate and creep intercept data.

5
 3. DEPENDENCE OF SECONDARY CREEP RATE UPON STRESS

As indicated earlier, the data evaluations of MPC have assessed

the average dependence of secondary creep rate upon s t r e s s . The data
for stainless steel types 304 and 316 may be found in Reference 2, and
data for 2V4 C r - 1 Mo steel in a draft report. 3 It is unfortunately true
that secondary creep rate data are seldom plentiful, as examination of
the MPC evaluations will readily reveal, and the average values that
have been reported are to be viewed only as best current assessments.
Furthermore, the MPC evaluations have placed primary emphasis on
the relatively slow secondary creep rates of interest in setting allow-
able stresses for long-life equipment, e.g., 0.01 and 0.1% per 1000 hr;
whereas these are of interest in generating isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n
curves, it is also necessary to know the s t r e s s e s corresponding to
creep rates as high as 10% per 1000 hr, if isochronous curves for times
of 100 or 1000 hr are wanted, and as low as 0.0025% per 1000 hr if
curves for 100,000 and 500,000 hr are wanted. Consequently, it has
been necessary to assess for present purposes the dependence of s e c -
ondary creep rate upon s t r e s s for both slower and faster rates. Final-
ly, data for types 304 and 316 at 1000°F have proved particularly scarce.
For all these reasons, a solicitation for possible additional data was
made, and these data were integrated with the previously available data
with a view to extending the previously defined average curves of stress
vs secondary creep rate to faster as well as slower strain r a t e s .
The s t r e s s vs secondary creep rate relations employed in gener-
ating the isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves are given in Figs. 1 and 2.
In these graphs the stresses for secondary creep rates of 0.01 and 0.1%
per 1000 hr correspond with the values defined by the MPC evaluations. 2 '

6
 * •

100

— 1000°F
i n r n °"p1

CO —1100°F
COa' 1 0
CO
cu
u
-fc->

1.
0.001 0.01 0.1 1.0 10 100
Secondary Creep Rate — Percent per 1000 hr
Fig. 1 —Variation of Secondary Creep Rate of 2V4 C r - 1 Mo with Stress

-3
 f

100

0.001 0.1 1.0

Secondary Creep Rate — Percent per 1000 hr
Fig. 2 — Variation of Secondary Creep Rate of Types 304-304H and 316-316H with Stress
 4. DEPENDENCE OF CREEP INTERCEPT UPON STRESS

Relatively few intercept data have been published, and no pub-

lished assessments of these data, in the sense of the MPC evaluations
of secondary creep rate data, are available. An effort has been made
therefore to gather data from as many sources as possible, both pub-
lished 6 " 8 and unpublished. These data are summarized in individual
plots in which the ordinate represents total strain, Figs. 3 through 5.
The lower, dashed lines showing elastic strains were developed from
published modulus of elasticity values. 9 In a number of instances, it
was not clear whether the reported intercept value represented total
strain or only creep strains. In these instances, the reported strain
has been plotted, except that if the reported value was less than the ex-
pected elastic strain, a correction for elastic strain was added. (Since
it is essentially impossible to differentiate between the elastic and
plastic strains during a creep test, except by an independent determina-
tion of the elastic modulus, it seems better, in general to develop inter-
cept data in terms of total strain.) In some instances, intercept data
were reported for " u p - s t e p " tests, in which successively higher loads
are imposed at intervals; these intercept data have been omitted from
the summary plots.
The extent of the scatter in intercept values evident in Figs. 3
through 5 seems unusually large. There are a number of possible
causes for this scatter, in addition to the likelihood, already mentioned,
that the reported values in some instances represent total strain and
in others only creep strain. On of the most important of these relates
to the likelihood that many of the values were taken before a true s e c -
ondary creep rate was established. Gill and Goldhoff5 have shown that
an apparent steady state may not represent a true secondary creep

9
rate, and that creep tests of much longer duration than are commonly
performed are required to establish the true secondary rate. The i n -
tercept value derived from an individual creep test may be expected to
increase steadily until the secondary rate is truly established.
Another possible cause for scatter of the intercept values derives
from the fact that microstructural instability is widespread in materials
of commercial interest, and the material behavior is sometimes sensi-
tive to chemical composition and to initial structure. These microstruc-
tural changes may affect the inherent flow strength and also may result
in dimensional changes independent of the applied s t r e s s , so that creep
strain is a net result of several forces. It might be expected that i n t e r -
cept strains would be especially sensitive to such complex behavior. A
correlary effect, appreciated generally be those performing creep tests,
is that secondary creep rate measurements exhibit less variability than
total strain measurements. The differences, of course, are aggravated
by nonaxial loading, which is probably more common than is generally
appreciated.
Finally, it is possible that some of the intercept values derive
from tests in which strain was not measured directly from the speci-
men, but from one or another location along the load train. Although
creep rates measured in such a way may be reasonable (since the load
remains constant), the total strain may be quite erroneous owing to
strains at the connections.
The importance of the scatter in intercept strains to the isochron-
ous stress-strain curve will be discussed later in this report. The i m -
portance depends upon the portion of the spectrum that is of interest;
fortunately, the intercept strain proves to be a relatively small fraction
of the total strain in the region of 1% strain at 100,000 hr.
The curves shown in Figs. 3 through 5 were drawn visually to d e -
fine what might be defined as "conservative averages."

10
 12 16 20
Stress, ksi
Fig. 3(a) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for 2V4 C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1000°F
11
I 1.1

1.0

•
•
0.9

'• I

2V4 C]r-1 Mo
0.8
1050"F

0.7

g 0.6
o
(-4

ft
cf
'3 0.5
-t->
CO

0.4

0.3
•

0.2
Elastic
strain — . « — ' "
•
0.1 r f
•
• — - ~ ' ',-,,,'
jf •
. - — '

0
0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 3(b) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for 2% C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1050°F
12
I i *
1.1
274 Ci' - 1 Mo
1100^ F

1.0

0.9
•

0.8
( i
•

0.7 •

g 0.6
o
u 1 «i
CD

2 0.5 •• <
w

0.4

•
0.3
•

• •
0.2

• »
Elastic
i
• strain , ^ ^*
0.1 ! ^ ^ m• * ^

• ^ • ^ * "^

0
0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 3(c) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for 2% C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1100°F
13
 2.24 1. 88
2.51. 1.-64 4-5 >.96 5.6

1 I 1 1 i ,
•I

Type 3 04-304H
1000 TF

• 1

• /

i i
Elastic
M.
strain _ - -

f\ •
•,**"

0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
4(a) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 304-304H Steel - 1000°F
14
I 1.1
!.
1.3

| \

1.0

•
•
0.9
Type 304-3C)4H
11 00 °F
0.8

0.7

•
g 0.6
o
u
a
• 1
2 0.5
+-» •
CO 1 i

•
0.4
• /

0.3

</ •
0.2
• Elastic
• M strain
- — -
0.1
(

0
0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 4(b) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 304-304H Steel - 1100°F
15
I 1-5 1. 7 2.7
4.0
1.4

1.1 J

1.0
Typ<3 304-304 H J
120C)°F
0.9

0.8

0.7

CD
O 0.6
u
CD
a
cf i > 1
"fl
u O.b
CO

• i
0.4

• /
• /
• /
0.3 •

* •/
• /
/ •
0.2
Elastic
strain ^* ^
yi ^ ^ ^
0.1
• •
i „
•
•
0
0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 4(c) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 304-304H Steel - 1200°F

16
I 5. 17 2.3

0 *

1.0
Type 316-316H
1000°F
0.9

0.8

0 7

£ 0.6
CD
O
U
CD
i 1
a
§ 0.5
u
+->

0.4

0.3

02
Elastic
( strain
- -
0.1
rt^-1- - - — ""

0
0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 5(a) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 316-316H Steel - 1000°F
17
I 4.8 7.7 6.E

1.1 i ^* i

1.0
Type :316-316H
1100°I
0.9

0.8

0.7
'

g 0.6
o
u
CD

a
a
a 0.5

0.4

0.3 •

•
0.2
Elastic
• strain
0.1
^s* ^ - - ~ ~

V 0 8 12 16
Stress, ksi
20 24 28 32

Fig. 5(b) —Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 316-316H Steel - 1100°F
18
 2.3
1.48 1.92 2. 7 4 .1 1.7 2.6 5.2 4 8 5.7

lf.fi f \; f

Type 316-316H
1200°F

i 1

• «y
Elastic
•X
strain
•

t ^ w
•

0 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Stress, ksi
Fig. 5(c) Variation of Intercept Strain with Stress for Type 316-316H Steel - 1200°F
19
 5. BEGINNING OF TERTIARY CREEP

The values of the fraction, F s , defining the ratio between the time
for tertiary creep to begin and the time for rupture to occur that have
been applied in the present report are taken (some by interpolation or
extrapolation) from the paper by Leyda and Rowe,4 and are given in
Table 1.

TABLE 1 — TIME FOR TERTIARY CREEP/TIME TO RUPTURE

VS TEMPERATURE

Temp, °F 2% C r - 1 Mo 304-304H 316-316H

1000 0.459 0.52 0.52

1050 0.453 — —
1100 0.447 0.50 0.525
1200 — 0.47 0.53

20
 6. THE ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN CURVES

Isochronous stress-strain curves a r e given for 2% C r - 1 Mo steel

in Figs. 6(a), (b), (c), for 304-304H stainless steel in Figs. 7(a), (b), (c),
and for 316-316H stainless steel in Figs. 8(a), (b), (c). Elastic strains
and intercept strains have been superimposed on the plots.
The curves for 2% C r - 1 Mo apply for annealed material (or m a -
terial normalized and tempered at relatively high temperatures); they
do not apply for quenched and tempered nor for normalized and t e m -
pered materials such as those conforming to ASTM specifications A542
and A387. Data for temperatures less than 1000°F and higher than 1100°F
were inadequate to warrant attempting to generate isochronous curves.
As the temperature is increased above 1100°F, scaling tends to become
excessive in oxidizing environments; consequently 2% C r - 1 Mo is s e l -
dom used at such temperatures.
The austenitic stainless steel curves also represent annealed
material, and would not be applicable to cold-worked material. No d i s -
tinction is made between the " r e g u l a r " and " H " grades. The specifi-
cations for the H grades of 304 and 316 permit lower annealing temper-
atures and higher carbon than do the specifications for the regular grades.
Although there is no lower limit on specified carbon for the regular
grades, the ASME Code s t r e s s tables impose, by footnote, an effective
minimum of 0.04% (which is required for the H grades) for service
temperatures over 1000°F. Hence the regular grades would appear to
be encompassed within the requirements of the H grades.
A search was made for data for grades 304L and 316L, but the
quantity of data available proved inadequate to warrant attempting to
generate isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves.

21
 Dashed portions at either end of the strain range of some of the
isochronous curves have been estimated. At lower strains, the dashed
portions represent regions corresponding to secondary creep rates less
than 0.0025% per 1000 hr, which is the lowest rate to which the s t r e s s
vs rate plots (Figs. 1 and 2) were extended. At higher strains, the
dashed portions represent the intrusion of tertiary creep, as established
by applying the Leyda-Rowe F s factors. 4 This estimate was made by
computing the time for rupture corresponding to the beginning of t e r t i -
ary creep in 10,000 hr, 100,000 hr, etc., and then from the MPC evalu-
ations for the stress dependence of time for rupture, 2 ' 3 establishing the
corresponding s t r e s s . This s t r e s s then was taken as identifying the
beginning of tertiary creep on the isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves. The
dashed portions of the isochronous curves are "guesstimates."
The stress-intercept curves drawn on the isochronous s t r e s s -
strain plots will aid in assessing the possible e r r o r deriving from the
extensive scatter in the intercept data. Taking 1% strain at 100,000 hr
as a reference point of important concern, it is of interest to note that
the intercept strain is a relatively negligible fraction of the total. Hence
the exact positioning of the s t r e s s -intercept curve is not particularly
important for this portion of the family of isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n
curves. However, as the strain or the time is decreased, the intercept
strain becomes an increasingly important fraction of the total strain,
and, in fact, for the shorter time at the lower temperatures, the isochron-
ous curve tends toward coincidence with the intercept curve. Although
the trend to coincidence is influenced by the uncertainty in defining the
position of the intercept curve, the basic reason for the trend is that the
method employed for computing the isochronous curve breaks down at
shorter time because primary creep is ignored. If primary creep were
taken into account, the true strain would be progressively less than the
computed strain as the time is decreased, and, in fact, would become
less than the intercept strain. Unfortunately, no method is available at
present to introduce a correction for primary creep strain and there is
no way of knowing when the computation procedure begins to break down.
It seems certain that 100-hr isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curves, com-
puted by the procedure employed, would have little resemblance to r e -
ality, and it seems probable that a significant e r r o r would be involved
in many of the 1000-hr curves; consequently, curves have not been in-
cluded for times less than 1000 hr. Some small comfort may be gained
from the fact that failure to correct for primary strain results in a
conservative design.
 It is not possible at this time to assess quantitatively the possible
e r r o r s in the isochronous curves that have been generated. Some of
the causes for scatter have been discussed in earlier portions of this
report. To a large extent, extensive scatter of results is inherent in
the sensitivity of creep properties to composition and structure, and in
the difficulties of experimental measurement of these properties. Nor,
can complete interconsistency between the isochronous stress -strain
curves and related properties, e.g., time for rupture, be expected. The
MPC evaluations of creep strength and of rupture strength were carried
out independently on separate data populations which were always far
from plentiful and in many instances perhaps not fully representative of
the grade. Thus, the portion of an isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n curve may
be found to lie slightly above rather than below the rupture s t r e s s for
the same time, as would be required. Because there is no way to assess
the uncertainties, it is believed better to accept such an inconsistency
than to attempt to adjust the end results.
As indicated earlier, it has not seemed possible to generate min-
imum isochronous stress-strain curves directly, and the curves that
are offered in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 represent averages. The only p r a c -
ticable way of estimating a minimum curve would appear to be to take
an arbitrary fraction of the average, and a reasonable value for this
fraction, based upon the general character of creep data, is suggested
to be 80%.
 4T

CO
M

CO

u
•*->

CO

2.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 6(a) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2% C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1000 °F
to
 #•

CO

M
of
CO
<D
U
33 10

2.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 6(b) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2% C r - 1 Mo Steel - 1050°F

to
CJ1
25

Elastic
strain
20
2V 4 Cr-l M o - 1100°F

Tertiary creep .

2.0 4.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 6(c) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 2% Cr-1 Mo Steel - 1100°F
 f
25

• Elastic
I strain 10 4 hr 105 hr _ _ _ _ _
20

co
15 s^i ^ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
5 xm5hr _

co*
CO
CD
U
-M 10
co
Type 304-304H
1000°F

0
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 7(a) Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 304-304H Steel - 1000°F

to
-3
 4T
25
Type 304-304H
1100 °F
strain
Intercejat,-— 10 3 hr -
20
104 hr

15
CO 105 hr
co"
CO
CD
u
CO
5 x 1Q5 hr _______
10

0
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 7(b) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 304-304H Steel - 1100°F

to
00
 *•

25
Type 304-304H
(Elastic
1200°F
1 strain Inter c ept^—-**"^'^

20

10 3 hr
15
CO

m 10 4 hr
co
cy
u
M
10
10 5 hr

5 x 105 hr

v ^^^ —• ~~

f
1

0 _
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 7(c) —Isochronous Stress Strain Curves for 304-304H Steel - 1200°F

to
CO
 * "

2.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 8(a) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H Steel - 1000°F

CO

o
11,11, ' I I

0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0

Strain, percent
Fig. 8(b) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H Steel - 1100°F
 f

CO
M
CO*
CO
CD
u
-t->
CO

2.0
Strain, percent
Fig. 8(c) —Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves for 316-316H Steel - 1200°F
CO
to
 7. ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN SIMILARITY

Rabotnov 10 ' 11 found that isochronous curves are often similar, and
consequently their equation could be written:

or = 0(e) 77 (t) (2)

Eq. 2 is based on the assumption that s t r e s s can be related to d e -

formation and time through the product of two functions which a r e inde-
pendent functions of strain and time, respectively. If the function rj
is defined such that ??(0) = 1, then 0(e) is theoretically the instantaneous
deformation curve.
Rabotnov found that a fairly good approximation to the function
V(t) is given by:

V(t) = —i-r (3)

1 + atP

Using this relation, Eq. 2 can be written as:

* - -*&-„ (4)
1 +at£

with 0(e), a, and )3 as unknowns. These unknowns may be evaluated by

assuming a value of j3, and determining the best values of 0(e) and " a "
by a least-squares evaluation of the a and t data obtained from the
isochronous curves.
An initial test of the applicability of this approach in representing
the isochronous curves developed in this study was made using the i s o -
chronous stress-strain curves for 304-304H steel at 1200°F shown on
Fig. 7(c). Values of /3 between 0.28 and 0.36 were investigated based
on Rabotnov's suggestion that a value of 0.3 is usually appropriate for
steel. Table 2 shows some of the results of this investigation.

TABLE 2 — COMPUTED CONSTANTS FOR EQ. 4

a x lo 2 0(e) x 1Q-4 psi

Total Strain,
% /3 = 0.30 /3 = 0.33 13-0.30 /3 = 0.33

0.25 3.8108 1.7722 1.1518 1.0874

0.50 4.9739 2.2075 1.5658 1.4439
1.00 4.6860 2.0702 1.7692 1.6348
1.50 4.4675 1.9874 1.8760 1.7389
2.00 4.3035 1.9197 1.9369 1.7996
2.50 4.3977 1.9488 2.0392 1.8895
3.00 4.2270 1.8807 2.0445 1.8975
3.50 4.0548 1.8130 2.0497 1.9102
4.00 4.0478 1.8094 2.0834 1.9416
a = 4.3299 a - 1.9350

This screening study indicated a number of items which should

be explored further. It was found that the calculated value of " a "
showed some strain dependence. Values of /3 of 0.28 or less a r e r e -
quired for 0(e) to approach actual tensile test data, however, d e c r e a s -
ing j3 increases the computed variance in a.
Fig. 9 shows a comparison between the isochronous s t r e s s - s t r a i n
curves for 304-304H stainless steel [Fig. 7(c)] at 1200°F and computed
values using a = 0.0433, and j3 = 0.3. As can be seen, the agreement
is reasonable, providing a tentative indication that similitude does exist
between the isochronous curves.

34
 r

J8
CO
CO
CD
U
•*•>

CO

0 0.25 0.5 1.5 2.0 2.5

Strain, percent
CO Fig. 9 — Comparison of Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves of Fig. 7(c) and Values
en
Computed from Eq. 4
 8. REFERENCES

McVetty, P . G.: Working Stresses for High Temperature Service

Mech. Eng, 56:149 (Mar. 1834).
An Evaluation of the Yield, Tensile, Creep and Rupture Strengths
of Wrought 304, 316, 321, and 347 Stainless Steels at Elevated
Temperatures, ASTM Data Series DS-5S2 (1969).
Evaluation of the Elevated Temperature Tensile and Creep-Rup-
ture Properties of 2% C r - 1 Mo Steel; in draft May 1970, to be
submitted to ASTM.
Leyda, W. E. and Rowe, J. P.: A Study of the Time for Departure
from Secondary Creep for Eighteen Steels, presented at Symposium
on Creep Rate versus Creep Strain, Am. Soc. for Metals, Oct. 1969.
To be published.
Gill, R. F. and Holdhoff, R. M.: The Analysis of Long-Time Creep
Data for Determining the Long-Term Strength, ibid.
Creep Data: Compilation of Available High-Temperature Creep
Characteristics of Metals and Alloys, Joint ASME -ASTM Research
Committee on Effect of Temperature on the Properties of Metals,
ASTM-ASME (1938).
Report on the Elevated-Temperature Properties of Stainless Steels,
ASTM-STP No. 124 (1952) (now identified as DS5), also Supplement
identified as DS5-S1 (1965).
Report on the Elevated-Temperature Properties of Chromium-
Molybdenum, ASTM STP No. 151 (now identified as DS6), also
Supplement identified as DS6-S1 (1966).

36
I
< •
9. ASME-USAS Standard Code for P r e s s u r e Piping, Nuclear Power
Piping (Draft), USAS B31.7 (Feb. 1968).
10. Rabotnov, Yu. N.: Creep Calculations on Machine Components,
Izv. AN SSSR, OTN, No. 6 (1948).
11. Rabotnov, Yu. N.: Certain Problems of Creep Theory, Vestnik
MGU, No. 10 (1948).

37